Hal Rogers: “I was in my office listening to this debate and came rushing over because I heard a couple of things during the debate…”

“I was in my office listening to this debate and came rushing over because I heard a couple of things during the debate that disturbed me. One was from the gentleman from Connecticut, who, in response to an observation by the chairman, said he does not believe that the technology does not exist today to do what their amendment seeks to do. I believe that and I believe that to be true. The other observation was there was reference made to the folks in the gallery who came here, and the observation was they probably do not know that the cargo that goes into the belly of their passenger plane is not screened. I would venture to say that most people that get on passenger planes do not even know that they are carrying cargo. Most people that get on passenger planes, however, also do not know that it is the cost of the cargo, the money that the airlines make relative to the cargo shipments, that enable them not only to have cheaper fares but also enable them to fly to small areas. Just citing one airline that is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, an area that is near and dear to my heart, if this amendment were to pass, I have been advised 67 jobs would be lost at that one airport by that one airline. For that one airline, $325 million in revenue would have to be made up in higher and additional fares.”